As a graphic designer, I often here the phrase, “I just need a simple logo” in hopes that my price may be adjusted accordingly.  But the truth is, when you are paying for a logo, you aren’t just paying for the product, but for the entire creative process and talent behind the logo.  The term “simple” in reality is misplaced in design.  Creating a simple design can be even more complex in its process than a seemingly more detailed logo.  Simple does not equal easy.  You still want your simple logo to have just as big of an impact as a more detailed logo, right?  They serve the same purpose.

Take for example the redesign of the Pepsi logo.

How much did this rebranding cost? A whopping $1 million.  But it’s so simple! Why should it cost so much?? (Here’s some more famous logos and their cost.)

While I do find a million dollars for a branding a bit extreme, it goes to show how much Pepsi understands the importance of their brand, and that they are willing to pay for a well thought out and simple logo.

So, in order to help people understand that they are paying for much more (not quite $1m) than just a design when they order a logo from me, I have put together this:

It all starts with a potential client filling out a creative brief.  They give me a good idea of what they want, and then we bounce ideas off on another.  I’m going to use my experience creating the FudgEuphoria logo.

I had a nice skype meeting with my client, we discussed his goals and expectations for his business, the style he’s looking for and also importantly, what he didn’t want. A tip- the more info you give me, the more unique and personal your logo will be. (I converse through email normally, but skyping was cool.)  He pays me a deposit, and I’m off!

I go right to work sketching some concepts to get the creative juices flowing. (Sometimes my talented husband Jeff will give his two cents as well.)

As you can see, I have already invested a lot of time and thought into this project.  I am just as invested in my logos as my clients are, because my name is behind it and I certainly wouldn’t want to put out an inferior product.

From this point I scan in my sketches, and import them into Adobe Illustrator where I go to town designing.  I normally start with selecting fonts, often having more than 20 at the ready. I then start illustrating any graphics that may be used.  Any little idea that I think has merit will be conceptualized.  My art board begins to look like this beautiful mess:

From there, I weed out what I think has the most potential, and what I think is closest to what my client wants.  I try to include a wide range of styles so I can really zero in on what they like (this time my client was extra lucky!  I often do between 4-9 concepts. I suppose I was feeling extra inspired). I make a nice little concept presentation like so:

My client and I then have another skype session where he tells me all the elements he really likes.  In this case, he was looking for a combination of 4 & 11.  (Also, he sent me a sample of his fudge so I could actually understand the product better, which actually really, truly helped!  It was also delicious! I highly recommend the cinnamon.)

So, I go to work again, and work on a few new concepts based on his feedback.  I come up with this:
I was originally going to only send the first three, but then I thought it would be fun to add some wings. Turns out my little hunch was onto something.  He loved the wings, but wanted a more whimsical version that popped a little more.  One last run through the works, and I ended up with this:
We have a winner!  The client really loved #3, and felt it was a wonderful brand identity that represented everything he was going for with his confectionery business.  Awesome!

From there, I package up all the files and formats necessary, write up an invoice and send the new branding to my client! I reassure my client that they can contact me for any of their future needs or trouble shooting, and the project is done.

So, as you can see, creating one little logo is quite a time consuming and requires a lot of creativity and thought.  When you try to barter a lower price with a designer by claiming your project is simple, that is like telling a baker that you want a simple cake.  Even if you cake has a simple design, the baker still has to have all the ingredients, talent, time and know-how to pull it off.  If you went to a cheaper baker who didn’t take the time to address your individual needs and cared more about making a buck off you than actually creating something delicious, you would end up with something worthy of cakewrecks.com.  Value your business, my friends!  Make a small investment in what will be a substantial asset to your business.

And there you have it.  A glimpse of my logo creation process from beginning to end. Every job I do is unique since I try to have a personal relationship with each client, but my process remains mostly consistent. Hopefully that clears up a little bit of the mystery of graphic design, and you will be more educated with your next experience with a designer!